1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle safety apparatus and, in particular, relates to an air bag module which is mounted in a vehicle seat to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to inflate an air bag to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle. The air bag is stored in a deflated condition, together with an inflator, in a vehicle seat in which the occupant sits. In the event of a side impact to the vehicle of a magnitude sufficient to require protection of the vehicle occupant, the inflator is actuated and the air bag is inflated into a position between the vehicle occupant and the adjacent side structure of the vehicle. The air bag can help protect the vehicle occupant from forcefully striking or being struck by parts of the vehicle side structure, such as the vehicle door. The air bag can also help protect the vehicle occupant from objects, such as a tree or a pole, which might intrude through the side structure of the vehicle during the side impact.
A vehicle seat in which an air bag module is mounted commonly includes a layer of foam padding over the air bag module, an external fabric material covering the foam padding, and one or more seat frame members which structurally support the air bag module and the other parts of the seat. The air bag module is mounted in the seat so that the deflated air bag is located near the outside of the seat, and can easily inflate into a position outside of the seat to help protect the vehicle occupant. The thickness of the vehicle seat is preferably kept to a minimum to increase usable interior space in the vehicle. The presence of the seat frame, and other constraints such as the thickness of the seat, can make it difficult to mount an inflator and an air bag in a desirable position within the vehicle seat.